Sisters At Heart and Partners in Crime

[Julianna Nero]

Kassey hadn't seen Cora in a very, very long time. So much has happened with the two of them, in their own lives, and Kassey was off really concentrating on her personal life more than her professional one. Now, that it all seemed better, and Kassey was in a really good place, she decided to focus on her work, her friends...get her life back together.

She was stil on a vendetta against those that harmed her, but she didn't focus solely on that, not anymore. She moved on, and even though that wasn't the case for a lot of her enemies, that's how she decided to handle it. No longer did she drown herself in Brandy (especially since she had to find a new planet that made it as well as Corellia), and no more spice would be found in her system. She was clean, sober, happy, and now she had to reconnect with Cora for a little while.

She sent Cora a message the other day, which simply read...

​

Long time no see! We need to catch up ASAP. Meet me at the Nexu Lounge on Coruscant in three days, sundown, it'll be like old times. xoxo -Kass​

From there, that's where Kassey waited, at the bar, sipping on some cheap imatation of Corellian Brandy...some kind of Hapan garbage that tasted more like wine. So she sipped on it more slowly than she thought was possible, just waiting for Cora, and hoping to see her best friend again.

 

[Cora Passek]

A long time, might have been a small understatement. Cora rolled over in bed hearing her comlink beep. Fumbling upon the nightstand, she groggily worked to find her comlink. Right as she managed to get her fingers on the edge of it, it slipped off and fell to the floor. "Fething A." She grumbled as she finally flicked the lights on so she could find the damn thing. With a sigh she put her feet on the floor and reached, finally grabbing the annoying thing. Her eyes skimmed the message. "Kass?" Asked as she rubbed at her eyes, trying to push the sleep away.

I'll be there. Just like old times. -Cora ​

It seemed an odd thing for Kassey to be contacted her after so long. But stranger things had happened. Both had separate lives, Cora knew. And hers had been most busy, from Atrisia and working for Imperial Shipworks, to the creation of her own company. Love had been nearly non-existent and now, well ... She was starting to catch up on all the things she missed out on. And there were a few more painful things that still haunted her. Perhaps now was a good time to talk about a few of those.

Three days later, Cora arrived on Coruscant and headed down to the lower levels. Care had to taken since the last time she was on Coruscant she nearly started a rather ugly incident and managed to slip through the Sith's fingers. A hood pulled close to her face, and a cover ID got her on the planet easy enough. Eventually she made it to the bar, and spied an old familiar face. "Well, well Miss Daklin, it's been ages." She said with a bright smile as she took a seat beside her old friend. Waving a hand she motioned for the barkeep, "Scotch, neat." She said with all the confidence in the world. "I didn't expect your message, but I'm truly glad you sent it. Missed ya far too much."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

"Miss Passek.." Kassey said with this very big smile on her face. She heard that familiar voice and Kassey immediately took Cora in a hug after she sat down next to her. "I haven't seen you in forever." Kassey couldn't help but to laugh, just because it felt so good to have her friend next to her again. It felt like old times already, and they didn't even get into any kind of trouble...yet, of course.

"Put it on my tab." Kassey told the bartender with a nod of her head, and then she turned back over to Cora. "I missed you too, Cora. So much has happened, I needed some time to get my mind, my life straight. It took a little while, but I'm starting to feel like my old self again. We really do have a lot to talk about." She waited as Cora was served her drink, and Kassey raised her glass.

"To a good night." After a smile was followed by the toast, Kassey took a sip and decided to start the conversation. "Okay so, tell me everything...where do you life now? What is going on? How is work? What is work for you now? I want to hear everything.."

[member="Cora Passek"]

 

[Cora Passek]

Cora offered a bright smile as Kassey hugged her. Sitting down, she waited patiently for her drink. Once there she lifted her glass to toast with her sister. "To old times, and much trouble."

The blonde nodded, "Well, I'm a bit of an exile these days. Corellia is gone. And well ... I'm not exactly welcome on Atrisia anymore. So ... it has mostly been me and Fluffy living on Don't Panic and just going from place to place now." She gave a small shrug as sadness crept into her voice.

"Well ... I should probably explain Atrisia. You see this new Empire popped up, and I had to know if they were tied into the Sith that killed my family. So, I snuck onto the planet to have a look around. I ended up in a military base, and got caught. They were going to execute me for being a spy, which I'm not! Long story but as they were transporting me to a new location, I managed to save the life of one of their high ups in the military. So, I got parole instead and my talents with ships, led to a job working for their nationalized ship manufacturer, designing and engineering their ships." Taking a breath, she took a long sip from her Scotch.

"That guy I saved, he later became Emperor, and my life really improved because of that. Making more money than I ever could have dreamed of getting through smuggling and the like. Just unfortunately, given my past ties with terrorist organizations, when said Emperor was killed in a terror attack, I was blamed. I barely got off Atrisia with my life. So, exiled from the only place aside from Corellia that had ever been my home." Cora sighed heavily as she bit at her lip.

"But, I ran into someone ... a Countess by chance and well she's helped me a little. I may soon have a new job working for her and her wive's company - Firemane. Funny to think I'm on a fairly ... legal path these days. Doing a lot less ... criminal things." She gave another shrug. Her life certainly had improved, but at the same time there were still some thigns that nagged at her. Like her family, and the sith. The need for revenge was still there. Just it had come into light recently that maybe her seeking revenge wasn't the best of things for her. "So who knows, I may end up on her planet, Kaeshana and work there for them."

"And what about you? Where have you been and what's been happening in your life?"

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

Trouble...of course. There was always trouble in the mix of things, especially when it came to Kassey and Cora. She couldn't remember a time that they were drinking in a bar, that didn't lead up to a fight, or a striptease, or someone shooting at someone else. There was always chaos and fun of the like when the two of them were involved, but tonight, she really did just hope that they would catch up..but who knew between the two of them.

But Cora explained her story a little better, even Atrisia had her interested, but every time Cora said the word Empire it made her cringe a little. The stories of the past and everything, Kassey was just never a fan of any type of authority - that went for the Rebellion, too, or any other known organization out there trying to capture the lawful ideals of one group and spreading them across the galaxy. Kassey listened to everything that she said though, and at the end it seemed like she was more on the legal path. With that, Kassey chuckled just a little and she shook her head in response. "Legal route, I never thought you would say that, but you have quite the story to tell, no doubt." Kassey took a sip of her knock-off brandy and she cringed yet again, while she pushed it aside for the time being.

"I've been...keeping a low profile, for the most part." Kassey looked from Cora down a little and tried to shrug things off just a little bit. "Getting clean, being a little more responsible..fighting the good fight in the name for myself and no one that I care about, same old, same old." Kassey smiled, but it wasn't as of happiness, more or less just a cover of what she knew that she was on the inside.

"I've turned a new leaf a little...and not blaming myself on my past mistakes about...anything that happened. I was tired of crying all the time, looking for spice to get rid of the tears, but it just caused more. So, I've been focusing on other things in life...just being myself, who I really am.." Or so she thought.

"Sadly, I don't have as many...great stories that you do. I've just been focusing on myself. Doing some smuggling runs here or there to get more money, I'd rather not dig into my accounts. Recapturing my roots, so to speak." Kassey was being as vague with as much detail...if that was even an impossible task overall. "I think I'm ready to put myself out there a little more, smile a little longer. And I just knew that I had to see and talk to you again."

[member="Cora Passek"]

 

[Cora Passek]

"I know, neither did I if truth be told. I more of just fell into it. Atrisa needed a ship engineer and well, I was rather attached to still breathing so ... Kinda had little option there. It's been rather strange, sticking to the legal side of things." Ten years ago, if someone were to have told her this is where she'd end up, she'd likely have slapped them then and there for their insanity.

Cora caught the glance down. There had to be a little more to the story than what Kassey was saying but that could always be pried out later. "I understand that completely. Kinda did the same thing once the situation on Atrisia settled."

The blonde nodded slowly, listening carefully. "I get the need to turn a new leaf over, and work on life in general. I understand. Just promise me, if you need to talk about anything .. I don't care how much time has passed since I last heard from you, or what has happened, I'm always going to pick up the comlink for you. Just remember that, okay?"

She sighed softly, downing the rest of her drink. "They aren't really great stories, just extraordinary luck, really." A tiny shrug followed, "Well ... if you're ready to get out there and do things, I'm sure we can find some kind of work together. Just like the good old days."

A soft smile formed upon her lips. "And truly, I'm glad you contacted me. Can't tell you how good it is to see you again. You're the closest thing I have to family, my sister. Ain't ever going to let that go."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

Kassey was even relieved that Cora said what she did to her, it meant very much, maybe even more than Cora might realize right then. She honestly felt like Cora was her sister, and even though they had been through a lot together, she knew that she could always go to Cora for anything that she needed. The distance, the time, everything didn't mean anything to either of them, what mattered is that they had one another through everything.

"I'll remember that." Kassey told her with a big smile on her face, and she took yet another sip of her drink. Kassey never grew up with a sister, so she really did think of Cora being her closest thing. "I just needed some time, I hated not talking to you, but I kept to myself. I tried to sort out my feelings, I tried to get my life together, and while I'm still not sure exactly what I want, I know that I want to live and not be a lump on the ship."

Kassey set her glass down and she let out a little sigh. "I'm glad I contacted you, too. I could go on with things that happened, but most of them, I don't even want to think about. I met some guys I like, I had my fun, now it's time to get back on the work ideal..but, how about it? You have anyone special in your life?"

[member="Cora Passek"]

 

[Cora Passek]

"You better!" Cora exclaimed, a bright smile upon her lips. A soft sigh followed as she listened to Kass. "I understand. Truly. Stars only know I've needed some time like that myself. I get it. I just worry about you, always will."

She nodded, "That's fine, don't worry about talking right now then. Just know that my door's always open if ever you should want to talk about it." She then chuckled softly as men and her love life came up. A shrug followed, "Dated a few guys, a few too many of them tried to put a knife in my back.... So, kinda gave up on the whole dating thing." Though Cora was about to drop a bit of a bomb on Kass. "But that Countess I was telling you about? I kinda sorta am interested in her, seen her a few times now. Good woman, lots of fun. And I don't have to worry so much about the whole being stabbed in the back thing. Other than her, there hasn't been anyone in years. I just can't seem to really trust enough to get into any relationship for very long these days. Just seemed easier to leave that part of things out."

[member="Kassey Daklin"]

 

[Julianna Nero]

Dating wasn't really Kassey's style, either. At least, not normal dating. She could say that she spent a lot of years with a Zeltron much older than her in her teenage years..but that wasn't really dating. Akoma? Well, that was more backstabbing than dating, as well. While she did love Akoma, she was in between that, fighting with Deagan, mixing her feelings with her husband's brother...and it seemed like a mess. Kassey knew it was because of her attachments to men, she loved the attention, so she would throw a few feelings at them and keep them a while, but still, nothing was like real dating.

"I've cut off contact with a lot of people." Cage included, she thought to herself, but did not mention that. Kassey was still seeing a guy now and again for the fun, the talking...the "good" parts of a relationship without committing to one another, that seemed like the good card to play right now. "And thank you, maybe I'll come talk to you sooner rather than later..alcohol always got me into trouble." Kassey chuckled, and she actually took another sip to cap off that point of view.

But what Cora said next actually...really did surprise her. It seemed like Cora was interested in another woman, which shocked Kassey, but not in a bad way...more of a way that made her curious and interested. "Really?" She asked, but it was just given her best friend a smile. "Cora, that's awesome." Was how she took it. "Man, woman, Bantha, Jax, Hutt, whatever you want that makes you happy, that's how I'd like to see you. I think that's so great, although be careful, they do say that girls take things a lot harder than guys if things don't work out." More to a joke, that last part, than anything else.

"I think you're right though..have fun, be yourself, maybe neither of us are turned out for commitment at this point."

[member="Cora Passek"]